Feeding My 6 week old kitten

[henrymullen]

Hello. I've just got a 6 week old kitten and it won't go near KiteKat (For Kittens) but it will eat Tuna.

The worry I have is that it is tuna in brine and I am worried that the salt content is too high. She's also only had one or two poo's. She is drining Cat Milk. Is the Tuna doing any harm and is there a way of weaning her of it so she will eat KiteKat?

[meltoadhall]

cats need water to drink rather than milk. all cats will prefer tuna to a tin of cat food :) , what was she having where you got her from? if she was weaned properly then you could try feeding her the same as she was having before. It may just take her a little while to get used to her new surroundings.

[drgnrdr]

Try a different food, she may not like that brand.I had to try 5 different dry/canned for my dog before she settled in on a brand she liked.

(from Vetpartner.com) More than 60 different ingredients are required for your kitten's good health, and you need to make sure she's getting what she needs to grow and thrive. Veterinarian Paul D. Pion, DVM, DACVIM, whose research linking taurine deficency in commercial cat food to a fatal heart disease led to a reformulation of the world's cat foods, believes you're best off sticking with big-name manufacturers. These are the most likely to have used feeding trials to test their foods.
The best foods have been tested in actual feeding trials, not just by nutritional analysis. For kittens, look for the words "Complete and Balanced Nutrition" and a statement that the food has been tested "for all life stages. He also suggests feeding a variety of foods, both in the taste and brand categories.
Dry foods are the least expensive and easiest to handle, but most kittens appreciate the tastiness of canned. An option is to feed kibble with a daily taste of the yummy canned stuff.
If you use a homemade diet, you must work with a recipe that has been tested and is complete and balanced for a kitten. A homemade recipe can be formulated for you at http://www.petdiets.com for a fee. Don't just throw together a diet based on your leftovers and milk! Cats have very specific nutritional requirements, and giving your kitten an unbalanced diet while he or she is growing can cause serious problems down the road.
Cats have a reputation of being "finicky," but starting your pet with a variety of foods from the beginning can help to prevent this trait. Serving food warmed to room temperature is another tip, as is considering the serving dishes. Make sure your kitten's bowl is shallow, easy-to-clean and non-skid.

[drgnrdr]

Most cats like fresh water also, tuna is not good for everyday nutrition, it is okay for a small treat every now and then, if you insist on feeding her Kitekat then how about mixing a portion of tuna in with it? not sure if you are using dry or canned food? gradually make more food less tuna over the course of the week or 2.

Meltoadhall is correct, see what they weaned her with, and it may a take a bit to get use to you, but cats need to eat, dogs can go longer without eating it seems than cats can, they have diff.nutritonal requirements.

[veritymoon]

could you try mixing the tuna with some kitten food to try and encourage her . if you try swapping diets too soon it may give her diarrhoea .get rid of the tuna in brine far too much salt , try tuna in springwater salt content is a lot better. the sooner you get her off tuna the better though. same with the milk try watering the milk down over a few days so its not such a shock to her when you take the milk away.

to be honest i think 6 weeks is a little young to leave mum as kittens tend to be a little harder to wean and get settled than dogs.

also your local vets should have some free samples of food you try her on and some information pack on kitten care

[Litchick]

Henry, I hope to not confuse you but my vet actually did recommend the cat milk for my six-week old...but it is only recommended when they are very young because it's like mother's milk. Why not just phone the vet and get his advice? Good luck...

[kovac]

I give my kitten iams junior (dry food), which is what he was weaned onto before I got him at 9weeks of age. It is important to know what your kitten was eating before she came to you....but best to call your vet.

[Kelley24]

I had the same problem with my 2 adult cats. They had dry food most their life but i decided to give them meat too. It took 3 weeks to find something they both liked. I got some of those single pouches and each evening i tried a different one. They basically dont like shops own brands, fish flavoured, etc. They only like Whiskers or Felix in gravy or jelly, not supameat or fish flavour.

Cats are fussy, but its like making a child eat one kind of vegetable and thats it! Keep trying different brands and flavours and jelly/gravy/supameat etc. The pouches are handy as you can buy one of each and see what she eats.

I agree tuna is a treat. If she keeps eating tuna all the time then you will never et her to eat cat food as she knows that if she turns her nose up at it then you will give her tuna again. Make sense? lol.

Mine have pilchards in tomato and tuna in springwater (i dont like brine so they have what i have) and they love it, but only 3-4 times a month.